| Re: ACDF post-op 9 weeks; still in pain
Kelly:
I am very sorry to hear about your pain. I am 12 days post-op on a two-level cervical fusion, and have not had any change yet in the amount of pain meds I require. I have, however (I think) identified the portions of my pain that have been relieved by surgery.
For me, I always had what I describe as a "base" level of pain in my left shoulder, which never responded to any kind of therapy, including shots directly into the places I perceived the pain. On top of this, I always had varying levels of pain that would sometimes exhibit itself in different places and was always the debilitating type of pain. This would sometimes respond to therapy or muscle relaxers but would never go away completely.
I think that surgery may have removed my "base" pain, leaving me now with the muscle pain that turns up in different places around my shoulders and upper back. I wonder if I will have to be patient and work toward some strengthening in these muscles due to some of them being weak because of the nerve impingement.
After many years, I have found a Physical Therapist that has helped me greatly. He is very well-informed and educated and is very "hands-on". I hope that PT will help you, and maybe help with any muscle imbalance or lack of endurance if that is what you have.
Izzy
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